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Columns for the front porch and trim for the front door

6 years ago

I have waited over a year and cannot decide what columns would be best for our front porch and what color for the trim of the front door. Right now the trim around the front door is white but it is thin. I plan on making it thicker but not sure if I should stay with the white or not. As for the columns, I am at a loss. 2 or 4, how wide, what style, 1/2 brick 1/2 white, I need help. Front Porch measurements are: 13 deep x 20 wide x 12 ft 6 in tall. Attached are a couple of pictures, 1 with just the metal post we have as supports, the others are just ideas. The columns will not be load bearing and were told we are able to put anything we want. Please give advice on the columns, 2 or 4, type, etc, and trim around the door. I sincerely appreciate the help.

Featured Answer

PRO

PPF.

6 years ago

Have you considered removing the center gable?

Posting an image taken from the driveway will let others understand depth. We cannot tell, for example how far forward the columns will be in relation to the front of the house.

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Comments (8)

PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
6 years ago
The shapes, proportion and scale of the house in the photo are very challenging. The house is symmetrical, but the gable in the center does not have the same shape, pitch or fascia detail. The proportions of the house make adding a porch form (roof) challenging, as PPF suggests. Finally the scale of the porch and any columns should be sympathetic to the rest of the house. The columns in the first photo are much too small, while those in the second and third photos are much to bulky.

A very careful study is need to see if and how a sympathetic porch may be added.

If it was my house, I might be looking at a horizontal arbor or trellis type porch with appropriate detailed and scaled columns, rather than any sort of pitched roof. Google porch trellis or arbor for ideas.

Good luck on your project.
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10" x 10" with no column blocking the windows. Not sure why changing columns would give you a craftsman or farmhouse look, which are much smaller scaled and often do have porch railings. Here are some beefier columns in a craftsman-ish style house with no railings. Yours are awkwardly place and too thin for such a huge house.
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Suggest you stop and decide what the entire project will look like, then work to make it happen. Think through all your ideas. Figure out how everything will be done. Looking at the lights for an example. The base should be in the center of the piece of siding. Lap siding is normally installed with butt joints staggered, or the end butts a piece of trim. I'd remove the 2 leftmost lights, add some dark trim and a wide column. Consider removing the railing.
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T Can
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you for your input. I will certainly do that.
T Can
Original Author
6 years ago
Photos from driveway.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
6 years ago
Four tuscan columns, round tapered as shown below. Find a local architect to advise on the diameter of the columns. Next time hire an architect to design the house.
T Can
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you for your input!! An architect would have been so beneficial !!!!!!!!!!!
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
6 years ago
You're welcome!! !!
PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
6 years ago
Well...as long as we're looking at Classical Architecture...there's always this:

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